Visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for American and European Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi stressed the need to boost consultations between the Islamic Republic and Spain over efforts to counter common threats, including terrorism.

Speaking in a meeting with Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Ignacio Ybanez in Madrid on Friday, Takht Ravanchi highlighted the age-old relations between Iran and the Western European country and its positive image in the minds of the Iranian people and government.

He further emphasized the necessity to deepen the two countries’ relations in various political, economic and cultural areas.

The Iranian diplomat praised Madrid’s positive stances on Tehran’s relations with the European Union and the European country’s constructive role in the United Nations Security Council.

Takht Ravanchi also called for closer consultations on various issues, including efforts to restore peace and stability to the Middle East region and counter common threats, including extremism and terrorism.

In a meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo earlier on Thursday, Takht Ravanchi had slammed certain Western countries for defining terrorists into good and bad ones, referring to Western-backed terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria.

Expressing regret over the human crisis in Syria, he urged all regional and trans-regional actors to pave the way for political dialogue on Syrian crisis and help the people of the Arab country make decision for their own fate.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh, currently controlling parts of it.

According to a new report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.